Improvement in machinery for separating flour from bran



J. JOHNSTON.

Bran Sifier.

Patented April 17, 1849.

N. Pains Phch Llhogmphen Wash'mgiem mV 0.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH JOHNSTON, OF VILMINGTON, DELAXVA'RE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING FLOUR FROM BRAN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,366, dated April 17,1849.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH JOHNSTON, of

the city of Vilmingtomin the county of New lastle and State of Delaware,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Upright Rotary-CylinderBran-Sifters, which is described as follows, reference being had to theannexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation.Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 00 0c of Fig. 4, showing theinternal arrangement of the machine. Fig. 4. is a birds-eye view showingthe top of the machine. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line a zof Fig. 3, the revolving cylinder and Vibrating-weights being removed.Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the revolving cylinder on the line '1)o of Fig. 7, showing the manner of arranging the brushes so that theycan be adjusted at pleasure or moved outward from the center of theclosed cylinder as they wear. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the revolvingcylinder, showing the removable segments which are to be removed to gainaccess to the interior of the revolving cylinder to set the brushes.

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

. A is the frame.

B are the sides, 0 the top, and D the bot tom, making a tight case, inwhich the stationary reticulated or wire cylinder and revolving cylinderof brushes are arranged, and in which the flour is collected as it isseparated from the bran by the brushes and wire cylinder, the bottom Dof the case being inclined at such angle as to collect the flour (whendischarged through and around the screen) and bring the same to a pointof discharge at one side of the machine, so as not to cause any wastageof flour at the center, where the upright shaft passes through saidinclined bottom.

E is a stationary cylindrical screen for sifting the bran. The upperportion E of this cylinder is made solid and lined on the inside withtriangular-shaped reflecting-bars E for the purpose of repeating thereflecting of the bran into the spaces between the wings of therevolving cylinder as often as the wings throw it against the saidreflectors, and thereby detaching the flour from the bran before itcomes to the brushes to be discharged by them through the wire-cloth.

G is a circular vibrating curb in which the wire sitter is placed, openat the top and closed at the bottom, except a circular space in thecenter for the admission of air, surrounded by a circular rim IT,extended up into the vibrating cylinder till it nearly touches thebottom of the revolving cylinder, forming a curb for preventing theescape of the bran at the center.

I are the spaces between the circular ribs of the vibrating curb,through which the flour passes to the space between the vibrating curband the stationary case, after having been forced through the meshes ofthe wire cylinder by the revolving brushes.

J is a circular cavity or depression in the bottom of the vibratingcylinder, into which the bran is collected.

K are spiral springs upon which the vibrating curb is sustained or,balanced when in a quiescent state, and upon which it vibrates whenstruck by the pistons S.

L are boxes formed in a horizontal spiderframe M, in which the spiralsprings are placed.

N are rods inserted into the bottom of the vibrating curb and projectingdownward through the center of the spiral springs and their boxes andthrough the spider-frame for keeping the wirecylinder in its properposition.

O are cleats on the inside of the stationary case for sustaining thespider-frame in. a fixed position.

P are spiral springs let into cavities in the top rib of the screen-curband bearing against the under side of the top of the case for preventingthe curb rising upward and touching the same.

Q is the spout, leading to the interior of the wire cylinder, forconducting the bran to the outside of the stationary case.

B is another spout for conducting the flour from the external case to areceiver.

S are the pistons for *ibrating the wire cylinder.

T are boxes in which the pistons move,and in which are placed spiralsprings for drawing them back when relieved from the act-ion of thevibrating hammers.

U are spiral springs coiled around the re.

duccd diameters of the pistons and confined in their boxes '1.

V are vibrating hammers for driving the pistons against the curb of thewire cylinder to jar and agitate the same in order to keep the meshes ofthe sieve free from accumulated flour.

V V are the fulcra of said hammers.

X X are anti-friction rollers, turning on wrists on the short arms ofthe levers, against which a spiral cam Y strikes as the large internalcogged wheel on which said cam is formed is revolved by the coggedgearing, for the purpose of raising said hammersV V alternately in thearc of a circle and again letting them drop against the pistons, whenthe portion of the cam 1/ which is nearest the center of the wheel shallhave passed the roller X at each revolution of the wheel.

a a a a are channeled wheels for sustaining the internal coggedcam-wheel in a horizontal position while it is revolved in thatposition.

I) I) Z) Z) are the studs on which the channeled wheels turn, said studsbeing fixed in a vertical position to the top of the case.

0 is a pinion on the main shaft that turns an intermediate cog-wheel (Z,which is geared to the internal cogged wheel 6, and which turns saidwheel.

f is the main shaft for revolving the aforesaid gearing and the closecylinder of brushes and wings.

g is the step in which said shaft turns.

it is a pulley on said shaft, around which is passed the band leading tothe driving power.

6 t are two metallic hubs, fastened to the main shaft f, having slottedradial arms j, to which the brush-blocks 70 are affixed by screwbolts Z,inserted into the slots of the arms, and by which the brushes can be setin or out at pleasure.

m, Fig. (5, are the brushes, inserted into the brush-blocks. Thesebrushes, in their rotary movement, meet the bran and flour previouslyseparated by the operation of the radial wings g on the upper portion ofthe close cylinder and the angular reflectors E on the internal surfaceof the upper portion of the vibrating cylinder, and throw it bycentrifugal force against the'internal surface of the wire-sitter,

through which the flour passes, while the bran descends to the circulartrough J. \Vhen the brushes have become worn, the screws Z are loosened,the blocks moved from the center the required distance, and the screwsmade fast.

a 0 are the heads of the close cylinder.

1) are the removable segments of the close cylinder screwed to the headsa 0, as represented in Fig. 7, so that one or all may be removed atpleasure in order to gain access to the interior of the cylinder, orwhere the screw-bolts of the brush-blocks are located.

, q are the radial wings on the periphery of the upper part of therevolving cylinder for throwing the bran and flour against the angularreflectors E by centrifugal force of said revolving wings.

7" are radial wings on the lower end of the close cylinder for creatinga draft through the cylinder and also for scraping the bran in thecircular trough around to the discharge-trough Q which leads through theexternal case B and curb I to the trough J'at the bottom of thevibrating cylinder.

5* is an opening in the top of the external case, at which the bran isintroduced.

'15 is a central opening in the top of the case, through which the shaftpasses.

it is a central opening in the inclined bottom 1) of the case B,surrounded byacircular curb n, extended upward into the central ring Hof the vibrating cylinder and through the center of thespider-framefol-preventing the escape of the flouratthe center. Theinclined bottom of the case. should stand at an angle of about fifty orsixty degrees, or any suitable angle, for discharging the flour-freelythrough the spout R.

111 is the upper box of main shaftf.

0c are set-screws for adjusting the shaft f in a perpendicular line.

The flexible cylinder E E may have its sides inclining inward toward thecenter at bottom or top instead of being vertical and againstthe wirecylinder, causing the flour to pass through the meshes of the cylinder Einto the space between it and the outer case B, while the bran alonedescends to the circular trough J at the bottom of the vibratingcylinder E, where it is scraped round by the wings 1 to thedischarge-spout Q, the fiour descending onto the inclined bottom D ofthe outer case by which it is conducted to the lower discharge-spout R,and while this operation is going on the indispensable operation ofknocking the sides of the vibrating Wire sifting-cylinder E is takingplace by means of the alternately rising and falling hammers V, whichare lifted in succession by the cam Y on the large cog-wheel and fall bytheir gravity on arriving at the end of the cam and drive the pistonsalternately against the curb G, by which the wire sifting-cylinder isvibrated to the right and left, and thus the meshes of the wire-Sifterare kept free from clogging matters. Should it be discovered that themachine does not work effectually on account of the brushes havingbecome worn, the motion of the machine must be stopped and the segmentsp removed, and the brushes adjusted in the manner before described.

I do not claim to be the original inventor of an uprightbran-sifter; but

What I (10 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The employment of the angular reflecting-bars E formed on a portionof the concave surface of the vibrating sifting-cylinder E, incombination with the radial wings qon the surface of the upper portionof the close cylinder when said cylinder is composed in part with thebristle or other brushes, said angular reflectors being thus arrangedfor the purpose of repeating the reflection of the bran against theradial wings q of the cylinder as often as the revolving cylinder throwsit against the ribbed portion of the vibrating cylinder or concave, andthus detaching the flour from the bran before it comes in contact withthe brushes to be driven through the wire cloth, as above described.

2. lhe employment of the gravitating hammers or boaters V for thepurpose of heat ing or detaching the flour from the meshes of theWire-cloth, in combination with the pis- JOSEPH JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

WM. P. ELLIOT, L. WASHINGTON, Sr.

